Controlled-flow-inlet swimming pool system



Nov. 17, 1964 B. T. BURBA 3,157,597

CONTROLLEDFLOW-INLET SWIMMING POOL SYSTEM Filed March 14. 1961 m X M t W I L5 11% 1 W: W A UM 17' W uflm A W i United States Patent This invention relates to a system and apparatus for controlling the flow of water and recirculating water into reservoirs, such as swimming pools of either the indoor or outdoor variety.

in swimming pools, it has usually heretofore been cus tomary to supply replacement Water and any recirculated water by way of inlets from which the water flowed into the pool from below the water level in the pool. Drainage of the pools has usually been accomplished by an outlet positioned at the lowest point of the interior. In order to clean the pool and remove dirt, refuse and such impurities and contaminations as inherently tend to accumulate in swimming pools, it has been necessary, in the past, to have vacuum apparatus arranged to remove such material and the like from the pool bottom. in

this way such impurities as normally tend to float, particularly mucus and slime, which contaminate the pool water and which have marked tendency to accumulate and come to rest at the top of the pool surface are removed by withdrawing the same from beneath the pool water surface or often from the lowermost pool outlet. This requires circulating such water-contaminating substances, often accompanied by germs of contagious diseases, to an extent such that they pass through the entire pool volume, or at least a relatively large part thereof. The result is that contagious diseases are often spread and conveyed from one bather to another despite the use of disinfectants in the water.

The present invention seeks to overcome t..ese and other objections of prior art arrangements by injecting all inlet water into the pool through inlets arranged in the pool bottom or in a trough beneath the pool bottom and removing the water generally as overflow. Frovisions are made for controlling the amount of inlet water with substantial accuracy of control, thereby tending to increase substantially the cycle between pool cleanings. In addition, flow distributors of various size and spacings arranged along an inlet manifold in the bottom of the pool insure a proper quantity of enter ng water where the rate of inlet is controlled and is established in accordance with the design and capacity of the pool. Overflow water from the pool which may be recaptured, either by overflowing the pool top edge or by collection in a trough or the equivalent located at appropriate distance beneath the upper top edge of the pool, is supplied to a filter system from which it is fed through an appropriate pumping mechanism to be recirculated subsequent to filtering.

The filtering removes those impurities which are displaced as overfiow in the area of the pool whereat they are most prevalent and, following filtration, the displaced water can readily be circulated and added to the pool around its complete area, in contrast to readmittance at selected points. Generally speaking, the major portion of the impurities which are to be removed are found in the shallowest region of the pool where the largest volume of bathers can be expected to make use of the facilities. L1 installations where water removal is accomplished mainly at the deepest region of the pool it is apparent that impurities, dirt and other types of contamination must be circulated through the entire volume of the pool to a drain-oli or draw-oi point before removing them.

The present invention, by adding water replacements Patented Nov. 17, 1964 "ice at the bottom of the pool and removing the water from the top surface of the pool, makes it possible to skim 0d the majority of contaminating solids before such contaminations sink to the bottom of the pool. This feature, of itself, lessens substantially the pool vacuuming requirements and thus reduces operating costs. Frequently, chlorine is added to the pool inlet water. This can be done concurrently with or following the filtration according to the present invention. Replacement water is added, as required, in the recirculating mechanism prior to water filtration.

The invention, as herein disclosed, further offers better opportunity of uniform heat control of the pool volume by reason of removal of the water closer to the surface for addition, following recirculation, to the cooler water at the pool bottom. Various Ways of carrying out the invention herein to be disclosed may be provided but in accordance with the present invention it will be apparent that included in the main purposes and objectives are those of controlling the amount of water inlet to a pool with a high degree of accuracy and thus effecting a saving of a considerable amount of waste water (with the cost thereof) which would otherwise be provided. Health department turnover regulations are more easily and cheaply met and dirt, contamination and slime more readily removed. By controlling the rate of inlet, the supply of replacement and recirculated water may be gaged better to the actual requirements of use of the pool. Other and further objectives of course will become apparent and be made evident from the description of the invention in one of its specific forms herein to be set forth.

As the invention is depicted by the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 will be seen to constitute a general plan view of one form of pool installation which may be provided;

FIG. 2 constitutes an elevation section taken substantially along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged section of one part of the inlet manifold for supplyirn inlet water to the pool and shows in particular, pressure flow control valves for admitting water into the pool from the manifold; and,

PEG. 4 is a section showing the inlet manifold and inlet valves taken along the line 44 of FIG. 3.

Referring now to the drawings for further understanding of the invention, the pool installation proper is formed to provide an area of desired shape and depth to meet the needs for conditions of the installation. While this may be any peripheral shape, the illustrated rectangular contour is assumed as being a widely used pattern which has long side-regions l1 and much shorter end-regions 13. The side walls 15 of the pool extend at one end to a depth usually two to three times that customarily found at the opposite shallow end 17. As illustrated the deepest region 19 is a short way from the end wall 15. In most installations, the lower surface of the pool is formed by a gradually sloping bottom 25, which extends from the shallowest region opposite the end wall 17 to the region 19 ofthe pool and the more sharply sloping bottom 27 extending from the end wall 15 to the deepest region 19. The bottom surface is made relatively smooth in order that users of the pool will not receive injury from a rough bottomsurface and also in order that the bottom surface may not be a medium whereby dirt and the like may readily collect in shallows and ridges. Further than this, by providing a relatively smooth bottom there is a smooth surface passage for permitting a complete withdrawal of the water from the pool at times when it is desired to drain the pool.

There is arranged, according to the present invention, along the bottom of the pool a trough or trench, conventionally represented 29, which, as herein shown, extends generally longitudinally of the long dimension and depending upon the pool size and width may also, in some. regions, extend laterally, as indicated at 31, which region in the illustration shown is at the assumed deepest' part of the pool. 1

An inlet manifold 33 is arranged to extend throughout the length of the trough or trench 29 and to be connected in appropriate manner, such as by the connecting pipe 35, with any appropriate source of inlet supfrom the conventionally represented inlet connection 36 to a suitable supply main (not shown) which feeds' the manifold, which connections lead to flow-control valve mechanisms conventionally represented at 47. and at 47' (in section as in FIGURES 3 and 4). The valves 47 and 47 per se form no specific part of the present invention except as used in the combination. :Valves of the type which are particularly suitable in this use ply. In the preferred form, the inlet supply is derived are of the type shown and described in the patents granted to C. A. Brown No. 2,389,134bn November 20, 1945,

. and to L. A. Kempton, No. 2,454,929 granted November 30, 1948. The described valves are generally known as 1 pressure controlled flow-control valves and comprise an orifice, such as 49, which is adapted to be flexed in such fashion as to effectively change its size inversely in proportionto'the. pressure exerted against it. The valves which may be of selected size are arranged at the out: lets from the manifold 33,.as above stated, at variable spacings dictated generally by the depth of the pool water which may beassumed illustratively to level at the plane shown at 51,(see FIGURE 2). The described inlet valves also are of known fixed capacities. It is not a particular part of this invention as to the specific sizev of valve but it may be noted that valves of the character described may provide a flow capacity varying between say gallon per minute up to 12 gallons per minute or more.

The specific size valve is selected in accordance with the flow-rate required or desired for the particular pool installation under consideration and is determined to some extent by the amount of replacement water required to rneet the needs of the bathers using the pool,

slope very gradually toward the outlet connector point 57 so that all water passing above the lowermost region 59 of the trough will flow to be eventually'recirculated after filtering. The overflow must always flow in a duct beneath the pool water surface and will be precluded from 're-entering the pool volume until it has been recirculated. I

In many installations it'is preferred to permit the water in the pool to rise to the top of the pool sidewalls and to overflow and then to collect the overflow in any The indesired fashion for filtering and recirculation. vention is equally applicable to such types of installations in which event the inlet connection 57 to the conduit 43 leading to the filter will of course be in an appropriately changed position. a

' Various chemicals such as chlorine and other suitable filtering agents may be added in well known fashion at;

the filtering point or along the passage 35. into the inlet manifold.

7' As the invention is diagrammed, the trough or trench 29 in which the inlet manifold and inlet valves are positioned is arranged to extend along the pool bottom, as above stated In such form, the trench is covered by a grating conventionally represented 61 having closely spaced openings and closure sections with the inlet water 7 V p passing through the openings 63 into the pool and the closure sections preventing bathers or users of the pool a from stepping upon the inlet valve mechanisms proper with resulting injury toperson or installation. It is, of course, apparent that the inlet manifold may be completely concealed andcovered over along the pool bottom with only the particular inlet sections opened to permit ingress of water, in which event suitable grating, screens or the like may be provided to insure the inflowing water entering into the pool. The particular fashion bywhich covering is provided is not specifically a part of this ,disclosure other than as generally set forth.

It is desirable to control the inlet flow to the tank 58 so that replacement water, is supplied but there will not be an excess to overflow" the tank. Accordingly, it is within the concept of this invention toinclude in the tank 58 a float'control which operates either by suitable linkages or by the suitable closure of electrical contacts to open and close a suitable valve in the inlet line 3 5 where the level of water in the tank 58 is at an optimum height such that no replacement water is immediately required.

The float valve operates to shut off the supply in the out the complete pool. in the installation with an assurned controlled-flow ratefor the valve selected and an assumed .inlet pressure in the manifold, the water in? let 'at each of the particular valve positions 45 is readily determined. When the pool water reaches above the level indicated at 51 for overflow'in the particular form' of adiagrammed installation, the overflow passes into a pipe, a recess'or a trough '55 which is cut into the walls -of the pool and eirtend's along each side and each end portionto'connect to an outlet point 57 from which it flows into the tank 58 into which fresh water from sup I ply 35-also-flows. It will be noted thattheoutlet from pipe 35 terminates above the level of water in tank 58 I provided.

inlet line 35. Where losses in water level in the tank 58 occur by reason of losses within the pool, it, of course,

is apparent that the float valve will ride lower and, consequently, through suitable mechanical linkages or electrical contacts may be used to open asuitable valve such as the" valve 67 to provide the water inlet.

It will be noted that in the line 33 feeding from the filter 41 into the manifold a pair of valves 71 and 73 are These'valves control the filling or emptying of the pool proper. Normally, unless it is desired to drain the pool, the valve 73 is closed so that water. flows intof V the pool after being filtered in the filter 41 through the valve '71 and the line 33. However, when it is desired to drain the pool, the valve 71 is closed and'the 'valve 73 opened so that the pool may drain'through the outlet arrangement may be provided-to meet regulatory de-" mands, water turn-over, heating or'cooling of the water and modifications of the filter cycle as well as the rate of recirculation. These units, not'here shown for reasons of simplicity, are usually connected between the overflow v pipe 43and the'rna'nifold but this is not essential to the operation. Other modifications andchanges may beprovided through the. appropriatepselection of pump and filtering operating rates determined by the use of the pool 7 and regulatory requirements. Where the described installation is provided the cleaning requirements are reduced very substantially because the majority of the dirt, impurities and contaminations are removed Without being circulated through the pool volume as a Whole. Repairs to the inlet system, if necessary, can be made readily by merely removing the grating 61 as the trench or trough cover;

Having noW described the invention What is claimed is:

1. A supply system for replacing water in a reservoir which comprises an elongated inlet manifold extending along the reservoir substantially below the desired water surface level, a plurality of controlled-flow inlet devices connected at selectively spaced points to the manifold to pass Water from the manifold into the reservoir, means to supply Water to the manifold and therefrom to the controlled-low devices, orifice means in said controlledfiow devices being adapted to vary in size responsive to manifold pressure changes to provide a stabilized preselected inlet fiow to the reservoir from each device so that the entering Water flow rate into the reservoir may be so ectively proportioned to the water depth and volume at the location of each regulator.

2. A supply system for replacing water in a reservoir claimed in claim 1 wherein the elongated inlet manifold extends in a substantially longitudinal path along the lower surface of the reservoir.

3. A supply system for replacing water in a reservoir which comprises an elongated inlet manifold extending in a direction substantially longitudinally along the bottom surface of the reservoir, a plurality of controlled-flow inlet devices connected at spaced intervals along the manifold, said controlled-flow devices each having a controllable size orifice determined by manifold pressure to admit water from the manifold to the reservoir, and Water-passing means to supply the manifold Water supply to the controlled-flow devices to maintain a pre-selected inlet flow volume proportioned to the reservoir depth and volume at the location of each regulator and to maintain a pro-selected balance between all said devices.

4. A swimming pool supply system for supplying water to pool structures having variable depth which comprises a supply manifold extending substantially longitudinally of the pool and substantially at the bottom region thereof for supplying inlet Water for replacement and recirculation, the manifold pressure being adapted to change at the supply and at varying distances along the manifold therefrom, a plurality of controlled-flow inlet devices spaced along the manifold to supply inlet Water to the pool, each controlled-flow inlet device having an orifice of variable size determined by instantaneous manifold pressure and being of such capacity relative to each other as to maintain a selected inlet flow volume at diiferent pool regions along the manifold which is proportioned to the reservoir depth at the region of each regulator, means to receive and ii ter overflow Water from the reservoir, and means to recirculate the filtered overflow With fresh Water replacement to the manifold for supplying the pool.

5. The supply system claimed in claim 4 comprising, in addition, Water-passing screening means covering the flow-regulator devices to preclude direct access thereto.

6. The swimming pool supply system claimed in claim including, in addition, a trough for containing each supply manifold, the trough extending along the pool bottom for substantially a longitudinal distance corresponding to the long-ta or" the pool, and a second trough extending in the direction transverse to the pool length in the region of substantially greatest water depth for housing a second supply manifold, and a Water-passing screening means covering each trough in a plane substantially corresponding to the pool bottom to provide a smooth bottom surface and to preclude direct access from the reservior to the flow-regulator devices.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNlTED STATES PATENTS 

4. A SWIMMING POOL SUPPLY SYSTEM FOR SUPPLYING WATER TO POOL STRUCTURE HAVING VARIABLE DEPTH WHICH COMPRISES A SUPPLY MANIFOLD EXTENDING SUBSTANITALLY LONGITUDINALLY OF THE POOL AND SUBSTANTIALLY AT THE BOTTOM REGION THEREOF FOR SUPPLYING INLET WATER FOR REPLACEMENT AND RECIRCULATION, THE MANIFOLD PRESURE BEING ADAPTED TO CHANGE AT THE SUPPLY AND AT VARYING DISTANCE ALONG THE MANIFOLD THREFROM, A PLURALITY OF CONTROLLED-FLOW INLET DEVICES SPACED ALONG THE MANIFOLD TO SUPPLY INLET WATER TO THE POOL, EACH CONTROLLED-FLOW INLET DEVICE HAVING AN ORIFICE OF VARIABLE SIZE DETERMINED BY INSTANTANEOUS MANIFOLD PRESURE AND BEING OF SUCH CAPACITY RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER AS TO MAINTAIN A SELECTED INLET FLOW VOLUME AT DIFFERENT POOL REGIONS ALONG THE MANIFOLD WHICH IS PROPORTIONED TO THE RESERVOIR DEPTH AT THE REGION OF EACH REGULATOR, MEANS TO RECEIVE AND FILTER OVERFLOW WATER FROM THE RESERVOIR, AND MEANS TO RECIRCULATE THE FILTERED OVERFLOW WITH FRESH WATER REPLACEMENT TO THE MANIFOLD FOR SUPPLYING THE POOL. 